The value of nature pedagogy in Primary Education
Nature is
such a huge part of primary education and school life for children. In fact,
within the United Kingdom; learning outdoors is a requirement for the
curriculum. There are so many benefits to learning outdoors in nature and becoming
more connected to nature. Firstly, there are many physical benefits to being
outdoors in nature and getting lots of fresh air. For example, if you spend
just half an hour outside every day walking around nature; you not only getting
clear air into your lungs but you are also making your heart much stronger and
healthier. Also, if you are walking in an area that is possibly a forest or a
garden then you are also increasing your muscle strength and building muscle
onto your body. In addition to this, children who are more active within nature
have a lower BMI and have more improved and refined motor abilities.
Furthermore, it is not only physically you develop from being outdoors it is also emotionally too. Being within nature for periods of time allows your mind and body to become connected and to be at one with nature. Emotionally, we develop so much when we are within nature. Our minds become clear and empty and allows us to be so peaceful and to just enjoy the nature around us. We are also in a much happier mood when we are surrounded within nature, it automatically takes away any worries that we have and replaces it with clear, positive thoughts. Being outdoors within nature can reduce stress, can boost cognitive function and can also soothe ADHD.
Moreover, it has been seen that being in nature is also good for school’s statistics. It has been proven that children who spend more time outdoors within nature are able to concentrate more in school and perform better under exam situations. These children are also seen to be more creative and better at problem solving, than of a child who never goes out in nature or who has next to no time outdoors.
Many studies (Chawla, 1998: Wells & Lekies, 2006; Wilson, 1997) emphasise children’s experiences of an interaction with nature as a significant means for the environment. This means that whilst children are in nature, they’re becoming more and more concerned for nature. Children who make connections with nature become adults who care more for the environment. So as practitioners and teachers, if we ensure that children get a balanced amount of time outdoors then we should be able to see a positive result in our environment in years to come. This links directly to Friluftsliv, this translates to free, air, life’. This means “a way of interconnecting with nature where strong emotional and spiritual experiences from the immersion in natural settings result in a personal connectedness to the more-than-human world” (Gelter,2010, p.3). On looking into this, it is clear that it is also linked to Biophilia which means the love of life. “Biophilia is the innate tendency to focus on life and lifelike processes” (Wilson, 1995, p1). The two go hand in hand, as they both look at the love of life when in nature and how to focus on nature whilst being surrounded within it. “Children seem to have an urge to relate to nature and an innate sympathy for natural things”. (Wilson, 2018, p.28). There is also a theory that because humans come from nature, we are automatically connected to it, whether we try to hide this or not, we are all in some ways connected to nature. (Cajete, 1999, p. 189) says that “All people originate from a place that is ‘natural and soulful’. Whether we think it or not, we are all connected to nature in some way, and this should be explored more as children and also as adults.
In opposition, there are also some issues that come with learning in nature and playing outdoors for children. During recent decades we have seen a decline in opportunities for children in Western countries to play outdoors (Christensen and O’Brian, 2003; Clements, 2004, Holloway and Valentine, 2000; Karsten, 2005; Sanberg, 2012). Frost (2006), an expert on playground play, has commented on the ‘dissolution of children’s outdoor play’. In his view, this’ play deprivation’ of children may affect their fundamental survival skills” (p.7)….. “It may be caused by the ‘recent shift form outdoor play to indoor technology play” (frost, 2006, .7). All of this information can be linked to the Nature deficit disorder, this is when kids are disconnected from nature- physically, mentally, spiritually. Technology has a huge part to play on this, children would much rather stay indoors playing on consoles, iPad’s, iPhone’s etc., than to go outside and have fun with friends in nature. This is a growing problem as children are being encouraged in schools to work on ipads instead of writing answers down. If they are being taught this in schools, and parents are allowing children to use consoles as a way of playing with friends; then children will have no motivation to get u and go outside to play with friends. It is a dangerous cycle that is not going to end any time within the future.
In addition to this, another reason children are becoming disconnected from nature is all of the health and safety risks that are becoming more important than actually learning within nature. Obviously there has to be some healthy and safety risks in place, but sometimes it is taken way too far and children are not allowed to go and explore an area on their own just in case of potential hazards. If children are not allowed to go and explore this for themselves, then how will they ever learn and grow from their mistakes. If a child is being told no all the time, or that they can’t go somewhere; either they are going to get more curious and go there anyway, or they are going to lose interest and will not want to go out and will become more disconnected from nature than what they already are now.
Moreover, looking at children that live in a more socially deprived area; they are not going to have the opportunities and the resources to be able to go outside all the time and learn about nature. They are less likely to have the facilities to take them outside in a woodland area or a forest and be able to explore, but they are more likely to be able to want to do this and have that thirst for the environment. Not only this, but more socially deprived areas do not have the funds to have these areas right outside their doorstep or their classroom. If more money was funded into schools that are deprived, then they could build their own outdoor area to explore.
Finally, more buildings are being made in our modern day society which is taking over natural space in our environment which we need for schools and classes to explore. It is absolutely vital that we have buildings yes, but do we really need every single building that we have right now. We could be using that space to re-connect children with nature and to re-connect our minds and bodies and be at one with nature. Our souls need peace and harmony too, and in order for us to do this we need to be at one with nature, or at least be in nature. We need to re-consider globalisation and think about our schools, and more importantly ourselves and our connection with nature.
References
Gelter, H (2010) Friluftsliv as slow and peak experiences in the trans modern society. Norwegian journal of Friluftsliv.
Cajete, G (1999) Reclaiming biophilia: Lessons from indigenous peoples. Ecological education in action: On weaving education, culture, and the environment, 189-206.
Furthermore, it is not only physically you develop from being outdoors it is also emotionally too. Being within nature for periods of time allows your mind and body to become connected and to be at one with nature. Emotionally, we develop so much when we are within nature. Our minds become clear and empty and allows us to be so peaceful and to just enjoy the nature around us. We are also in a much happier mood when we are surrounded within nature, it automatically takes away any worries that we have and replaces it with clear, positive thoughts. Being outdoors within nature can reduce stress, can boost cognitive function and can also soothe ADHD.
Moreover, it has been seen that being in nature is also good for school’s statistics. It has been proven that children who spend more time outdoors within nature are able to concentrate more in school and perform better under exam situations. These children are also seen to be more creative and better at problem solving, than of a child who never goes out in nature or who has next to no time outdoors.
Many studies (Chawla, 1998: Wells & Lekies, 2006; Wilson, 1997) emphasise children’s experiences of an interaction with nature as a significant means for the environment. This means that whilst children are in nature, they’re becoming more and more concerned for nature. Children who make connections with nature become adults who care more for the environment. So as practitioners and teachers, if we ensure that children get a balanced amount of time outdoors then we should be able to see a positive result in our environment in years to come. This links directly to Friluftsliv, this translates to free, air, life’. This means “a way of interconnecting with nature where strong emotional and spiritual experiences from the immersion in natural settings result in a personal connectedness to the more-than-human world” (Gelter,2010, p.3). On looking into this, it is clear that it is also linked to Biophilia which means the love of life. “Biophilia is the innate tendency to focus on life and lifelike processes” (Wilson, 1995, p1). The two go hand in hand, as they both look at the love of life when in nature and how to focus on nature whilst being surrounded within it. “Children seem to have an urge to relate to nature and an innate sympathy for natural things”. (Wilson, 2018, p.28). There is also a theory that because humans come from nature, we are automatically connected to it, whether we try to hide this or not, we are all in some ways connected to nature. (Cajete, 1999, p. 189) says that “All people originate from a place that is ‘natural and soulful’. Whether we think it or not, we are all connected to nature in some way, and this should be explored more as children and also as adults.
In opposition, there are also some issues that come with learning in nature and playing outdoors for children. During recent decades we have seen a decline in opportunities for children in Western countries to play outdoors (Christensen and O’Brian, 2003; Clements, 2004, Holloway and Valentine, 2000; Karsten, 2005; Sanberg, 2012). Frost (2006), an expert on playground play, has commented on the ‘dissolution of children’s outdoor play’. In his view, this’ play deprivation’ of children may affect their fundamental survival skills” (p.7)….. “It may be caused by the ‘recent shift form outdoor play to indoor technology play” (frost, 2006, .7). All of this information can be linked to the Nature deficit disorder, this is when kids are disconnected from nature- physically, mentally, spiritually. Technology has a huge part to play on this, children would much rather stay indoors playing on consoles, iPad’s, iPhone’s etc., than to go outside and have fun with friends in nature. This is a growing problem as children are being encouraged in schools to work on ipads instead of writing answers down. If they are being taught this in schools, and parents are allowing children to use consoles as a way of playing with friends; then children will have no motivation to get u and go outside to play with friends. It is a dangerous cycle that is not going to end any time within the future.
In addition to this, another reason children are becoming disconnected from nature is all of the health and safety risks that are becoming more important than actually learning within nature. Obviously there has to be some healthy and safety risks in place, but sometimes it is taken way too far and children are not allowed to go and explore an area on their own just in case of potential hazards. If children are not allowed to go and explore this for themselves, then how will they ever learn and grow from their mistakes. If a child is being told no all the time, or that they can’t go somewhere; either they are going to get more curious and go there anyway, or they are going to lose interest and will not want to go out and will become more disconnected from nature than what they already are now.
Moreover, looking at children that live in a more socially deprived area; they are not going to have the opportunities and the resources to be able to go outside all the time and learn about nature. They are less likely to have the facilities to take them outside in a woodland area or a forest and be able to explore, but they are more likely to be able to want to do this and have that thirst for the environment. Not only this, but more socially deprived areas do not have the funds to have these areas right outside their doorstep or their classroom. If more money was funded into schools that are deprived, then they could build their own outdoor area to explore.
Finally, more buildings are being made in our modern day society which is taking over natural space in our environment which we need for schools and classes to explore. It is absolutely vital that we have buildings yes, but do we really need every single building that we have right now. We could be using that space to re-connect children with nature and to re-connect our minds and bodies and be at one with nature. Our souls need peace and harmony too, and in order for us to do this we need to be at one with nature, or at least be in nature. We need to re-consider globalisation and think about our schools, and more importantly ourselves and our connection with nature.
References
Gelter, H (2010) Friluftsliv as slow and peak experiences in the trans modern society. Norwegian journal of Friluftsliv.
Cajete, G (1999) Reclaiming biophilia: Lessons from indigenous peoples. Ecological education in action: On weaving education, culture, and the environment, 189-206.
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